Family pays tribute to incredible Ella

A mother has paid tribute to her “amazing” daughter after she lost her fight with cancer aged 17.

Ella Crann, of Sycamore Way in Birstall, died peacefully surrounded by family on Tuesday, May 19.

Brave Ella, who went Bruntcliffe School in Morley, had been receiving treatment after she was diagnosed with stage four rhabdomyosarcoma, which had spread around her body, early last year.

Ella’s mum Diane Crann said: “She’s never ceased to amaze me throughout her treatment. She’s kept going and stayed focused and taken control of everything, right to the end.”

Her auntie, Emma Turnbull also said she had remained positive following her diagnosis.

After undergoing intensive chemotherapy last year, Ella and Emma did a charity headshave and donated their hair to the Little Princess Trust, which makes wigs for young children who have lost their own hair through cancer treatment.

And through sponsorship from friends and family, Ella raised more than £5,000 for the children’s charity Candlelighters.

Ella said her goodbyes to friends over the weekend. She had also planned her own funeral, which will take place on Monday June 1 at Park Wood Crematorium in Elland.

She had requested that everyone dresses in polka dots for the day rather than black, and has left a video message that will be played at the service.

Diane said: “She was amazing, it’s just incredible. I’m so, so proud. For such a young lady to be able to take that on herself and plan everything. She was wonderful.”

Last year Ella passed all her GCSEs – some of which were taken in hospital – and a BTEC with distinction. She had wanted to become an oncology nurse.

Having created a bucket list of things she wanted to do before the end of her life, Ella swam with dolphins in Florida, met her hero Ed Sheeran and attended the X-Factor final.

Emma said: “Even the nurses who worked with Ella said they’ve been inspired by her and that they’d never met anyone like her

“When we went to Florida we had an itinerary of what we wanted to do, and at the end of each day we’d be tired and she wasn’t. She was so determined to do everything, she surprised us every day.”

One wish Ella was unable to fulfil was to do a sponsored skydive. However, her brother Harry and uncle Jamie will do this themselves next month in memory of her, fundraising for Candlelighters in the process.